There are a number of situations in which it is desirable to substantially simultaneously print a web of paper to produce discrete documents with selective non-variable information and vastly different variable information, rather than printing the variable and non-variable information at different locations. For example in the printing of telephone bills, it is necessary to print header information, promotional information, and other standard essentially non-variable information on different portions of a discrete document which will serve as an individual telephone bill (for a company or a person), while at the same time printing vastly different variable information in the form of customer information (such as name, address, phone numbers, etc.), phone calls made (such as the number of local units used, the long distance phone numbers called with time, date, duration, and the like) and charging information (standard charges, taxes, discounts, individual charges for long distance calls, etc.). For high volume businesses it is important that this printing be done quickly and accurately (so that downtime is small and/or so that information can be reprinted if there is a problem with the printing process and the web is interrupted).
According to the present invention a method and apparatus (including flexographic units) are provided which allow the substantially simultaneous printing of a web of paper to produce discrete documents with selective non-variable information and vastly different variable information in a quick, accurate, and efficient manner, and overcoming the problems discussed above. One of the most significant benefits of the invention is the ability to produce discrete documents, with varying numbers of pages, which consist of both non-variable (color) and variable printed information during a single pass, continuous printing operation. This ability provides a means to produce documents (e.g. billing statements) with varying numbers of pages, sorted by postal code (to take advantage of postal rate discount), in a single pass through the printing operation.
Using traditional methods, it would be necessary to print the bill header page (which would be limited to one repeat size, one page) on a separate pass through a flexographic press, to create (pre-print) a discrete web (roll) of one page documents. A second operation of applying variable information would require the pre-printed web to be re-introduced to a variable data printing system. Additional webs, requiring variable information, necessary to create two page, three page, and longer documents, would need to be variably imaged, and the data matched and collated together with the pre-print header page (this is very difficult to do, especially with documents in excess of three pages). A third operation of co-mingling one page documents, two page documents, three page documents, etc., of the same postal code would be required to achieve the same results as obtained in a single pass through the selective flexographic printing system of the invention. Therefore, the selective flexographic system of the invention significantly reduces additional time, labor and waste. It also provides the ability to produce documents in excess of three pages (e.g. up to 8 pages), which likely would be unachievable using traditional methods.
The printing according to the invention may be done in three or four colors, and one or both faces of the web may be printed. The components are commercially available, but configured in a particular way that is highly advantageous.
According to one aspect of the present invention a method of (e.g. substantially simultaneously--i.e. multiple pages are printed on the web at approximately the same time) printing a web of paper to produce discrete documents with non-variable information and vastly different selective variable information on portions of the paper web ultimately to be separated into discrete documents, utilizing at least one ion deposition print unit and a plurality of flexographic print units, a data source containing at least the variable information, and first and second computers, is provided. The method comprises the following steps: (a) Reading data from the data source with the first computer. (b) In response to the read data from the data source, controlling the ion deposition print unit with the first computer to print variable information on the paper web. (c) Providing form lag commands from the first computer to the second computer. And, (d) in response to the form lag commands, independently controlling the flexographic print units with the second computer to operatively engage and disengage the paper web and thereby print non-variable information from at least one of the flexographic units on each discrete document portion of the paper web. Each flexographic unit is capable of printing a unique non-variable format on demand (or command) from an operator/computer. The exact format of the non-variable information is determined by a printing plate installed on a printing cylinder of the flexographic unit.
There is typically the further step of UV curing ink applied with each of the flexographic units substantially immediately after it has been applied, and there is also the further step of video inspecting the web after application of the variable and non-variable information. A second ion deposition unit may also be provided in which case there is the further step (e) in response to the read data from the data source, controlling the second ion deposition print unit with the first computer to print variable information on the paper web. There may also be the further step of video inspecting the web before printing thereof with the first ion deposition unit and after printing with the second ion deposition unit, and separately after printing with all print units. The method steps are typically practiced at a speed of at least 300 feet per minute, e.g. at least 330 feet per minute and perhaps as high as 500 per minute. The steps may be practiced to print phone bills, with headers and standard information being printed by the flexographic units, and phone calls made, customer, and charging information printed by one or both of the ion deposition units, although a wide variety of documents may be printed. Steps (a)-(d) may be further practiced to produce documents having three or more pages, and including a postal code printed on a first page on which the header is printed, and further comprising the step of separating the multi-page documents by postal code.
If desired there may be the further step of turning the web so that the relative positions of the first and second faces of the web reverse between flexographic print units so that both faces of the webs may be printed. Also the second computer typically has a video monitor and an input device, and there may be the further step of re-configuring the control of the flexographic print units by inputting information into the second computer using the input device, and viewing the inputted information and results of inputting the information using the video monitor.
The invention also relates to a printing system for substantially simultaneously printing a web of paper to produce discrete documents with non-variable information and different variable information on portions of the web ultimately to be separated into discrete documents. The printing system comprises the following components: A paper web unwind unit. At least one ion deposition print unit operatively connected to the paper web unwind unit. A plurality of flexographic print units located on the opposite side of the ion deposition print unit from the paper unwind unit, and operatively connected to the paper unwind unit. A paper web handling unit on the opposite side of the flexographic print units from the ion deposition print unit. First and second computers, the first computer for reading data from a data source containing at least the variable information. And, interconnections between the first computer and the ion deposition print unit and second computer, and between the second computer and the flexographic print units, effecting, in response to the read data from a data source, control of the ion deposition print unit with the first computer to print variable information on the paper web; providing form lag commands from the first computer to the second computer; and in response to the form lag commands, independently controlling the flexographic print units with the second computer to operatively engage and disengage the paper web.
The paper web handling unit may comprise a pull roll module and a paper web rewind, although it may also comprise means for separating the web into discrete documents at essentially the same location that the printing takes place, or other cutting, slitting, punching, and/or perforating units.
Typically the ion deposition print unit comprises a MIDAX.RTM. (e.g. 322 print engine) unit, which is available from Moore Business Forms, Inc. of Lake Forest, Ill. That unit comprises a toner hopper, toner developer roll, image cylinder, ion cartridge, pressure roll, cleaning station, and erase rod, the paper web passing between the image cylinder and pressure roll, and the developer roll upstream of the image cylinder in the direction of paper web movement, and the cleaning station and erase rod downstream of the image cylinder in the direction of paper web movement.
Each of the flexographic units may comprise a WEBTRON.RTM. unit, and the flexographic units in combination may comprise a WEBTRON.RTM. 1000 three-color flexographic press. Each flexographic print unit may comprise an ink metering roll engaging an anilox roll, an impression cylinder, and a plate cylinder having a flexible material plate around at least part of the periphery thereof, the plate on the plate cylinder engaging the anilox roll, and the paper web passing between the plate on the plate cylinder and the impression cylinder.
Video inspection is preferably also provided at at least one place along the web after printing, and preferably at two different places. The web inspection unit may comprise a PROMARK.RTM. video web inspection system.
The first computer preferably comprises an XL DATA SYSTEM.TM., available from Moore Business Forms, Inc. of Lake Forest, Ill., which is typically connected to the MIDAX.RTM. print engine through a raster image processor (RIP). The second computer may comprise a conventional PC.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention a printing system is provided comprising the following elements: At least three flexographic print units. At least one ion deposition print unit. At least one video inspection unit. A paper web unwind. A paper web rewind. And, the paper web rewind being downstream of the paper web unwind in a direction of paper web movement, and the video inspection unit being downstream of the print units, and the print units disposed between the paper web unwind and the video inspection unit.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide the quick and accurate and effective substantially simultaneous printing of a web with non-variable and variable information, e.g. to print discrete documents such as phone bills. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.